Universal coupling



y ...1,643,353 Sffptc27 '192.7' R. c. STIEFEL UNIVERSAL COUILING Filed May 14, 1927 T i zo JL.. a if L17 7 l ll i I i 16 ,a

Patented Sept. 27, i927. i

`UNITED STiGiTESy PATENT iOlFFlC-E.

RALPH o. sTiErEL, or -nLLwc'i'on cIfrY,`rENNsYLvANIA. .I

UNIVERSAL courante..

` vApplication inea May`1-4, 192,7. seriai No. 191,347.'

:In such couplings it is essentialthatthe interengaging coupling elements be strong enough to resist the lieavystresses `imposed upon them,.andit is desirable that the unit pressure on the bearing blocks, or brasses as they are usuallyI called, for transmitting v torquefrom one rotary member to another,

be a minimum to reduce as much as possible the frequency of their necessaryreplacement.

In addition to these considerations, it is frequently desirable to have the outside "dimensions of the coupling as small as possible to avoid, in the case of rollinginill drives, iiiterference between adjacent couplings when the rolls are turned down, and,in the case of skew-roll piercing mills, to -alford ajclear path for the passage of billets between the rolls. y f

` The object of the invention is to provide a coupling of the type described which is strong and compact, and in which the unit pressure on the bearing blocks is comparatively low. f

f The invention is illustrated in the accom-v panying drawings of which :Fig l isa sidev view of the coupling, a retainingringfor sleeve being illustrated in section to show the construction of tliecoupling;jli`ig. 2 ya longitudinal central section through the coupling, the plane of view being indicated by the line ,ll-II, Fig. 3; and Fig. 3 a transverse ysectional view taken on theline III-III, Fig.'2.

According to this invention, a universal coupling is formed on the adjacent ends of two rotary members, either of which may be a spindle'or another form of casting Ior forging adapted to be securely fastened to a driving or driven shaft or spindle. end of one rotary member is integrally provided with four jaws which extend longitudinally of the `member and substantially radially from its axis of rotation, the jaws being integrally united to each other at the axis of rotation of the member. Each j aw is provided with a plane surfaced driving face which lies in a plane passing through the axis of the rotary member, the planes of' the are of spherical form...

The

several driving faces being disposed atangulai intervals of ninety degrees. The adjacent end of the Ysecond rotary member is integrally `provided with four longitudi-` nally-disposed tongues whichV extend into the spaces between the jaws of the lirst-mentioned .rotary member, and accordingly in terinesh with ysuch jaws. Each of these tongues is provided with a pocket or'groove for receiving a bearing block or brass which is o f 'substantially semi-cylindrical form having its curved face bearing upon the wall foriningtlie pocket of the tongue and its plane face bearing upon `one of the plane surfaced driving faces ofthe jaws. In all there are four bearing blocks arranged in four pockets formed in the tongues of the second-mentioned rotary member;

ln the illustrative embodiment of thefinventionone rotary member is indicated as being the end of the casting or forging 1, the other end of which may be suitably `secured-to a driving shaft or pinion, and the vother rotary member is indicated as beingV a spindle or shaft 2. At thev end of spindle 2 there are four jaws '3 whiehextend longitudinally of the spindle and substantially radially of its axis of rotation.: The several jaws arel provided `with plane surfaced driving faces l which lie in planes at riht anglesto eachother passing throught e axis of rotation. As shown at 5 in Figs. land 3,'the outer `or peripheral faces of the'jaw's The endof rotary member l is provided ,with .four tongues 6 which extend into the spaces .between the jaws 3. Adjacent to the (driving faces. ofy each each tongue is provided'wit-h a pocketk or groove of general semi-cylindrical form for the reception of the curved surface of a substantially semicylindrical bearing block or brass 7 there being four of such blocks arranged in the several pocletsrof the tongues. The plane faces of these bearing blocks lie against the plane drivingfaces A of jaws 3. Vhile the bearing blocks may bey variously formed, each is preferably provided with an interior chamber 8 for the reception of lubricant introduced through a passage 9 formed in the outer wall of the block, other of its walls being provided with passages l0 for the flow ofv lubricant upon the bearing surfaces of the coupling. The bearing blocks Vmay be inserted in their receiving grooves by moving of the coupling, and may be held in their operating positions by a sleeve or ring 11 slidablj1 mounted upon rotary member l for telescopic movements,"the sleeve being held 5 in its bearing block locking position by suitable screws or equivalent locking members ment.. required in a particular coupling;- Hovvever, to minimize the permissibleex-V tent'of` backlash movements it is preferred tov have asmall clearance between the rear faceofeach jaw 3 and the adjacent face pf reach. tongue 6 along a line -indicated in Fig@ at the point 18. `.-Inthe'operation of the'` coupling, either rotary member l or 2 may bethe `driving `or driven member. Assuming `rotary member 1. asbeing theVdriving member, driving torque `or pressure is transmitted from its tongues 6 through the substantially semicylindrical bearing blocks 7 the plane faces .of which bear upon the plane facesV 4 of jaws y 3 `at the* end ofrotary member 2. Within the permissible range of relative universal movements of the rotary members, bearing blocks ,7 rotate in the cylindrical pockets or grooves formed in tongues 6. Jaws 3 being 'f-A integrally Vconnected at their inner ends to the rotarymember 2, and being integrally `united to each other and to this rotary mem-- 40 ber atthe center of the member, there is ai? ,forded` astrong construction capable `of ef- Vfectively transmitting high torque pressures. These pressuresarc distributed through the fourbearingblocks having extended `bearing ,surfaces so: that the unit pressure is 4not alsV large. Accordingly the bearing blocks wear away much less rapidly than in couplings so Veonstrruzted that high unit pressures'are im- "i Athe axis of `said member, a second rotary lmember integrally provided at its end with. 'four longitudinally disposed tongues mesh- `the lugs 3 lie in planesgpassing through the axis of rotation of the `rotary member to which these lugs are attached. When in a coupling of this type a bearing contact plane does not pass through the axis of rotation, the bearing pressure is transmitted obliquely to the plane, "and to the extent that such Obliquity is presentthe unit resultant pressure normal tothejbearing surfaces vis increased. In ythe coupling provided according to this invention bearing pressure is transmitted normally Vthrough the bearing surfaces, and accordingly is reduced to a minimum. t

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I haveexplained the principle and mode of operation of my invention, and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope `of the appendedV claim', the invention may be `practiced otherwise than as specifically shown and described.` j

VI claim as my invention: Y f Y A heavy duty7 universal shaft' coupling for a metalworking mill, comprising a rotary memberprovided integrally with four jaws 'extending longitudinally at its end and substantially radially from its axis at which the jaws are integrally united to each otherand to said member, said jaws `having yplane surfaced driving faces lying in planes passing at right angles to each other through ing with said `jaws andeach providedwith a `bearing-receivlng pocket. and substantially semi-cylindrical bearing-blocks arranged in ,saidV pockets with their curved faces bearing on the `tongues and their plane face bearing upon said plane faces of said jaws. In testimonywhereoLI my name.

j RALPH of. STIEFEL. 

